Episode 16 TIPS
These are the TIPS that correspond with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni episode 16. The Outsets of an Inquiring Memo On a certain day in June 1982. A few days following the Watanagashi Festival, Hojou Satoshi disappears. Logically thinking, there are three plausible reasons for Satoshi-kun’s disappearance. The first, is if he got into some type of accident. There have been stories of bodies not being found for months after being hit by a car, or falling in a ditch. But since the police have thoroughly searched Satoshi-kun’s area of activity and still yet to find anything, I believe this is not the case. The next, is if he simply decided to disappear. Satoshi-kun’s life has cornered him mentally to an extreme. Honestly, it seems he even grumbled about wanting to vanish from his surrounding. The police believed Satoshi-kun was the culprit who kill his aunt and thought he may have ran. Linking this all together, this explanation has the best sense of realism. But afterward when a different culprit was found, this theory has been crushed. The third, is if he disappeared as a victim to the Hinamizawa Chain of Bizarre Deaths, otherwise known as the Oyashiro-sama’s Curse, is the last consideration. Unless someone can prove this occult being, Oyashiro-sama’s existence, then these cases are with no doubt carried out by human means. Satoshi-kun being erased by somebody’s hands is the most convincing deliberation. Then the #1 question will be: Whose hands was it done by? My presumption is either the Sonozaki Estate, another Gosanke member sympathizing with their intention, or one of my relatives is with little doubt the culprit. ......wait, the cops would had already figured this much. What really needs to be thought of is from here. Frankly, who, in what way, for what reason? Why did Satoshi-kun need to become a victim? What was the motive? Who gave the order? Who carried it out? The mastermind, the culprit, and the truth... are all right by me. Possibly, it might be just behind my back. However, even if it were to be behind me, I cannot reach it with ease. It is in a difficult place for my hands to reach and to grasp it I would need to pain my shoulders, grind my teeth, and then maybe my fingertips might be able to graze it. What I seek is hidden in a place like that. This record written here from this point on, serves as a memo to sort my inquiries in addition to document my remorse. I do not believe that this memo will touch the eyes of anyone other than myself. But if anyone aside myself were to read this memo ...it is either because I have revealed the truth and disposed this memo for I have no more need for it; or had at one point become a victim of the “Oyashiro-sama’s Curse” myself, and disappeared leaving behind this memo. If the former, then good. ......but if the latter... Please, I beg you to lend me your strength, for I am no more than a helpless little girl. Blurred Diary Satoko hid behind my back crying. Since she was clinging tightly to me, my back was completely soaked with her tears and snivel. My Aunt, who was continuously screaming hysterically, eventually ran out of energy to continue. ......before long, we notice the clock struck 1AM in the dead of the night, but even so, her vicious words continued as she parted away... and finally the onslaught was put to rest. Satoko long ago tired herself crying, laid on the ground with a hazed expression. Even with the absence our Aunt’s presence, she still hasn’t realized she has been freed. So I gently petted her head and said, “......it’s over... Satoko.” And instantly... the nape of Satoko’s neck shuddered. In her eyes you could see the life and tears reviving. .....and then looking at my face, “.................” What was over, she already knew; but her eyes begged to hear those words directly from my mouth. ......in truth... I had also expended my energy. Even if it was a trivial task for my sister to explicitly ask for those words annoyed me a bit. But, if it will console my little sister who’s holding back her tears even for a little bit... Gently, I spoke the words she awaited. “......Auntie’s scolding has ended, ok? ...so... let’s go to sleep.” Satoko... with the tears still pouring from her eyes tightly gripped onto me while killing her voice as she cried once again. Seeing her weak trembling back was painful. ......every time I see this sight... reminds me that if I don’t protect her no one will. “Now... brush your teeth, then let’s layout the futon... and go fast asleep.” Satoko frailly returned a smile as she nodded. My head is spinning... My body freed and subdue from the tension, was attacked by a drowsiness fit for that mayhem. While Satoko occupied the sink, I left for the bathroom to take care of business. Blop,blop,blop,blop... as I watch my piss poured into the toilet... I became dazed. If I lose my concentration, my pee probably will spill out... no, I’ll probably be swallowed down the toilet as in my hallucinations. ......I can’t even remember. Today, what triggered my Aunt’s anger...? A Crumpled Diary Finally, my Aunt’s hysteric scolding ended. Today was like every other day. I cannot remember what triggered it, and whatever the trigger was, the context kept changing throughout. It doesn’t matter. And again the clock past 12. The drowsiness assaulted me hammering the back of my head. As the last thread of tension severed, Satoko without warning collapsed; yet still holding onto the cuff of my pants, it seems she fell asleep. Carrying Satoko on my back I went to the bedroom... and laid out the futon. “Hey, Satoko... the futon is laid out. Climb in” Satoko limply like a caterpillar crawled then concealed herself in the futon, and proceeded to stop all motion. Seeing that almost made me to succumb to my desire to also slip into the futon. But... I cannot sleep just yet. My Aunt had just requested me to purchase stuff. A tube of toothpaste, I cannot forget to buy this on my way home tomorrow. If I don’t write a note, I’ll forget... And then the Rice Cooker, gotta set the rice for tomorrow’s lunch. Don’t forget the timer... That’s right! Also got to fold the mountain of towels in the laundry room which triggered today’s scolding... My Aunt will burst into extreme anger if what she pointed out is not fixed. aaaahhhh, what else? ...that’s right, I was going to the Produce Store to help part-time. Also, he told me to bring an apron. ......do we... even have an apron here? ...I’ve never seen one... My Aunt is still asleep when we leave for school, so there’s no time to ask. What do I do, what do I do, Mion went out of her way to introduce me to this job, so I can’t anger them. The apron, I got it, when I go to school tomorrow I’ll ask Mion or someone. They’ll definitely lend me one. Was there anything else..? mmmmmm.............. I’m envious of Satoko sleeping in the futon. Just thinking of that, made me sad. Notebook Page 21 Let's examine the conversation I had with that strange girl in the rain here. Ryugu Rena. Her real name is Ryugu Reina. I'm not really sure about the true identity of this girl. The one thing I know for sure is that she doesn't have any connections with the Sonozaki main family. Of course, she doesn't have any relationships with any of the Gosanke either. It's true that the Ryugu family had lived in Hinamizawa in the past. After that, about her family moving to Ibaraki, it's just as she said herself. They moved to Ibaraki just before she entered elementary school, ......and after that, they returned to Hinamizawa. Ryugu Rena herself stated that she returned to Hinamizawa after receiving a warning (curse?) from Oyashiro-sama. It is unclear what she's referring to by this. She claims to have received 「Oyashiro-sama's Curse」 once before. Saying that Oyashiro-sama would constantly watch her, and follow behind her steadily. I think it's probably just some kind of self-victimizing delusion, but ....Strangely, those experiences have drawn a lot of interest from Satoshi-kun. According to her, at this point in time, Satoshi-kun too is beginning to receive Oyashiro-sama's Curse as well. It appears that Satoshi-kun has confessed to this girl about how he is being followed by some unknown entity as well. And then, it appears he became very shocked at how her 「experience story」 matched his own. What is Oyashiro-sama's Curse...? Why did Rena and Satoshi-kun share a common experience? It seems to me like this is most likely referring to some kind of surveillance by someone in the village. They must be monitoring the movements of the victims for this year's curse. ......For Satoshi-kun and Rena, who blindly believes in Oyashiro-sama's Curse, the surveillance must've felt like Oyashiro-sama's presence to them. Combined with self-victimizing delusions, it's not unreasonable for them to be feeling like they're experiencing abnormal experiences. In other words, from the information that Rena has brought me, we can surmise that Satoshi-kun appears to have already been placed under surveillance long before Watanagashi. If that's the case, then one question arises at this point. And that is the meaning of the 「surveillance」 that Rena received. I have assumed that this surveillance is performed on the victims of the year. But, if that's the case, then I don't understand the meaning of the surveillance against Rena. She lived in a land far away that's different from Hinamizawa. What meaning was there when they observed her? If we were to define her as a villager who deserted her homeland, then yes, it's still understandable if she were to be met by the curse. However, ...In the end, she didn't become a victim. Perhaps she was pardoned after deciding to move back to Hinamizawa. ...It feels like she still knows about something that I don't know about.... Notebook Page 24 By now, Satoshi-kun's state was becoming more dilapidated. He became more and more exhausted mentally as he goes home to protect Satoko from their ill-tempered aunt. Yet, he furthers his exhaustion physically by going to work everyday... His relationships with his friends has also diminished. It seems that all he does at school is sleeping at his desk or spending time alone. It tears my heart to see Satoshi-kun when I remember him in his nonchalant attitude. In addition, the load on his psychological state must be strenuous with "Oyashiro-sama's curse" befalling on him. I'm certain that the Oyashiro-sama's curse must be them "spying" on Satoshi-kun in order to make him as this year's victim. Then that means the other victim for this year, Aunt Houjou, should also have had some spying done to her as well. Did the aunt also feel any weird indications that someone was spying on her? No, it's not only her. Were all the past victims spied upon before their deaths? I must investigate this further to prove that the "curse" upon Satoshi-kun is because of this "spying." Is the cause coming from "spying," his own "persecution complex,"......or is it really a "curse?" Tattered Diary The presence behind my back whispers in my ear. I am to be this year's victim. Hence, I will disappear soon. And no one will be left to protect Satoko. The presence behind my back whispers in my ear. My time is running out. Hence, I will not be who I am soon. And, I must treasure the time that I have left. What I can leave behind for Satoko? That big stuffed animal that she always wanted. A peaceful life where no one would abuse her. I whisper back to the presence behind my back. Please give me your violence, fear, and brutality. Please give me the calmness that you sustain along with your hatred. Notebook Page 5 For me who could not even walk satisfactory under the sun, this brief moment where I met with this one boy in the sunlight; Who would have thought that a twisted person such as myself to be attracted to one as pure as him. Notebook Page 19 Of course there were days were we laughed together, and there were days we would disagree with one another. Just as there are no sunny days that will not cloud, there are no rainy days that will not clear. I thought of Satoshi-kun’s absence as no more than that. But, already by this time, he was utterly cornered. Category:TIPS